Date palms line the shores, like the idyllic
scene of a tropical island. Beyond the rich
soil is the Sahara, with mountains rising in
the south and the Mediterranean Sea to
the north. The ever-changing view is best
enjoyed from the stern of Viking Osiris,
with feet dangling in the pool, or in a
lounge on the sun deck.
One morning, vendors in rowboats appear
alongside our slowly sailing ship to sell
scarves, beach towels and tablecloths.
Much to our amusement, they throw us
their goods with the precision of
professional American footballers.
Passengers catch the items, haggle on the
price, and then place cash in a plastic bag
to toss back down. Another fun event is
the Egyptian night, when we dress up and
dine on a banquet of local cuisine and
wines before a performance by Nubian
dancers.
At the end of the week, Viking Osiris
returns to Luxor for our flight back to
Cairo, where we see the new exhibition of
22 royal mummies at the National
Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.
Pharaohs and wives are displayed in an
underground hall, with X-rays showing
what lies beneath their wrappings. Despite
these advances in technology, archaeology
and restoration, so many of Egypt's secrets
remain shrouded in mystery – much like
the unsolved case of the random kangaroo.
Viking has operated Nile cruises since
2004, but the new 82-passenger Viking
Osiris is the first Egypt-based ship owned
and operated by the company. Suites have
balconies, queen beds, walk-in wardrobes,
living room and bathroom with shower
and bathtub.
Mediterranean
Sea
Red
Sea
Cairo
Qena
Luxor
Edfu
Esna
Aswan
Kom Ombo
Petra
Amman
Jerusalem
Bethlehem
Dead
Sea
NILE
–
C r ui s e
•
–
•
A ir
••
O ve r night in Po r t
JORDAN
ISRAEL
EGYPT
GETTING THERE: The 12-day
Pharaohs & Pyramids cruisetour
roundtrip from Cairo, starts from
$9,595pp in Standard stateroom
C a m e l s a t G i z a
V i k i n g O s i r i s o n t h e N i l e
This article was originally
published in The Australian on
Saturday 19 November 2022.
viking.com
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